Fagin Hell- We've Been Robbed.

Just on BBC news that there are problems at Drury Lane with complaints that the kids are being paid as little as £20 a night. It was all defended by the likes of Sylvia Young, saying it is all within the guide lines of child employment. The kids, when asked if they thought they were being 'ripped off' loudly declared that they would do it for nothing! lol Nice one Cameron! All news is good news and that will be another £200,000 in the box office tomorrow.

According to the press today, the Oliver's and the Artful's get £60 per show, the gang members get £20 and the workhouse kids, who are only in the theatre 1 hour, get the free transport. It also says that when the producers brought 'Billy Elliott to the stage they decided to ignore the Equity ruling of the kids getting half the adults pay as they were all, every single kid, a major part of the story telling. In doing this they decided to pay the kids well above the Equity requirement and its rumored they get around £200 a week. They deserve more than that if you ask me after seeing the show 3 times now. Cameron's office only replied with the answer that they were within Equity ruling and commented no further. My question to Cameron is, are the kids in 'Oliver! not a major part of the story telling too and should be on more than they are being paid at the moment?

I'm sure that like all good Fringe productions Cameron is covering the travel expenses now but at the end of the run all the children will be part of the profit-share......

Either that or it's part of the children's introduction to Method Acting:

'So my boys to fully appreciate the Dickensian conditions of child exploitation you must dance for the nice Ladies and Gentleman wot have paid £60 a ticket; and if you do it well?, well I'm sure they'll be a shiny 1-6 weekly travelcard* for your troubles....., oh and while your not on stage those footballs are going to stitch themselves......

*actually let's make that a 1-6 Day Travelcard

*did I say Zones 1-6 I meant 1-2

*(and it's a bus pass)

"I tend to think if god wanted us to believe in him, he'd exist" Linda Smith

Though reports that a 'Local Hero' had to perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre on her partner in the Liverpool area after the man nearly chocked to death on his morning Toffees after discovering that a rival theatre producer was actually paying any member of the cast £20 a performance are yet to be confirmed.....

"I tend to think if god wanted us to believe in him, he'd exist" Linda Smith

Equity rules that they can't do more than 4 shows a week, though this is more a Government condition. Penalties are heavy foe noncompliance. Equity cant, and doesn't, have specified payment levels- merely guidelines for each producer.